eat green

Spring is here and we’ve been graced with warmer weather this season, putting me in total BBQ mode. Peppers, zucchini, beets, asparagus, any protein, pizza, peaches – I’ll grill just about anything! And it’s no surprise that most items taste better on the BBQ, that summery taste of the grill comes so easy and leaves for little clean up – huge bonus!

Over the Spring/Summer season, I thought I would share some of my favourite picks for grilling, to help excite and inspire your grilling game. 🙂 Don’t mind the iPhone shots, I was serious multi-tasking when I thought this would be a good one to share. Hope you enjoy and please share what you’re grilling up this season!

Most recently, I have been obsessed with grilled Kale. The flavours and texture add a unique twist on a regular salad. I love a raw kale salad and have found that adding in a few grilled leaves makes it even more amazing. It puts an interesting spin on a classic dish and helps change things up from salad to salad when you have a garden full of Kale – which I can’t wait for!

My Classic Kale recipe is oh so simple:

1 garlic clove

2 parts olive oil

1 part lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

salt, pepper

parmesean

Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt and pepper.

Massage dressing onto the raw kale. The longer it sits, the more delicious it gets.

Grill a couple plain leaves and tear into the dressed salad and enjoy!

Add toppers if I have them on hand, currants, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, whatever might be in the cupboard.

Next up, which has become a new favourite summer appetizer/snack of mine is from Canadian Living’s Summer Best special issue. Their recipe for Grilled Sesame Edamame is ahhh-mazing!!! As soon as I came across this one I knew it would be a winner, seriously so YUMMMM!!!

Grilled Sesame Edamame

500 g edamame (defrosted)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesames

1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt

Skewer defrosted edamame, heat grill to medium-high heat.

Grill edamame until golden 8-10 minutes.

Toss in sesame oil, top with sesame seeds and salt.

Serve warm.

Stay tuned for more of my favourite BBQ picks and don’t forget to share yours on instagram – #delsdish #delsgrill

Who said you couldn’t have your greens in a warm and cozy cup… Ok not quite… But a good cup of Matcha offers many benefits to help kick off your day. This miracle elixir has been around for over a thousand years and is ever growing in popularity. While the best can be found at small Chinese tea shops, Matcha is easily available at most major tea and coffee retailers, when you are looking for convenience. I’ll often get my fix at Starbucks if needed and on the go. However, nothing beats sitting back and relaxing with a warm cup of greens before starting the day. Finding that moment of peace and calm in a delicious cup is beyond comforting.

It’s well known that Matcha is a ‘superfood’ we should not ignore. There are loads and loads of benefits that should be well noted and celebrated with each latte you make. Here are a few that are top in my books –

high in antioxidants, exponentially more than any other ‘superfood’

loaded with catchin EGCg, which is most powerful with cancer fighting properties

L-Theanine helps in calming, aiding in relaxation and meditation efforts

L-Theanine also produces dopamine and serotonin which enhance memory and concentration

Sweet and delicious, this tropical smoothie will have you throwing back the greens. I don’t often incorporate pineapple in my green shakes due to the higher sugar content but this combination makes for a nice change and is a welcomed option for those starting to drink more green shakes/juices. This combination is loaded with tons of nutritional properties from our beloved Kale and Hemp Hearts (as you have learned about in my previous posts or can now catch up on), but we also have some added perks from the funky pineapple.

This fruit is so deliciously sweet that we often forget how nutritious they actually are. Yes, they are higher in sugar, but they do contain high amounts of vitamin B & C, manganese, dietary fibre, thiamin, and bromelian (which in my book, offsets the negatives of sugar. And we are pairing it with Kale and Hemp Hearts here).

These vitamins and minerals make pineapple a great source of energy and a defensive antioxidant. Eating pineapple (in moderation) can help:

fight heart disease

reduce joint pain

strengthen bones and connective tissue

support digestive health

reduce inflammation

increase metabolism

Multiple reasons for you to check this one out. Here’s the dish –

Tropical Greens (yields 4 servings)

3-4 cups kale

1 banana

1-2 cups pineapple

3-4 tbsp hemp hearts

2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add water until desired consistency.